Portable self-contained reading lamp



y 20, 1952 L. MELAMED EIAL 2,597,662

PORTABLE SELF-CONTAINED READING LAMP Filed 001;. 21, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTORS LOU/5 MELAMED MORE/8 u GEEEA/BEEG BY IBV/A/Q J. Ju/AeTZMAA/ Patented May 20, 1952 PORTABLE SELF-CONTAINED READING AMP Louis Melamed, Morris U. Greenberg, and Irving J. Swartzman, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Applicationbctober 21, 1949, Serial No. 122ml)!!- 3, Claims. 1,

This invention relates tollampsand, more particularly, to a light-weight;pprtablereading lamp arranged to be attached directly to abook.

The problem of providingadequateillumination on reading matter, particularly where the general level of illumination is low, as when reading in bed, for example. has beenv a diflicult one to solve. Varioussolutionswhichhave been proposed have been impracticable either from the cost standpoint or from, other standpoints, such as annoyance to other people. For example, portable desks having; attached, reading lamps have been suggested, but are generally. bulky and have not found favor duei'otheirv numerous disadvantages.

Many people, for example, like v to, lie in bed and read. In order not to annoy; other occupants of the room whdmay. wish to sleep, special illuminating devices have beenv provided, arranged to direct a. spotzof light directly on the printed surface. These have. not been. entirely satisfactory due tolthe necessity. for adjusting ones position to .thelocation of the light so as not to interfere withthe. illumination, and due to the fact that the light, particularly at a distance from the lamp, illuminates a. larger area than necessary. Many,v of: the suggested arrangements have involved battery operated lamps, and these have been unsatisfactory due to the relatively short liieoifthe usualdry. cells when a continuous current drain is imposed thereon.

The present invention avoids these; numerous disadvantages and provides an efficient, improved lightweight reading lamp inwhich theillumination is directed only upon the particular page being read. The lamp is providedwith clips by means of which it maybe supported directly on the book or magazine being read, and has arms extending some distance from the clips and ,carrying lamp bulbs and reflectors which direct the light directly upqn. theipagesiof the-book. The main body of thelamp; whichis clipped to the book, carries two .sets of drycells each set having one terminal connected to one of the lamps. The other lamp terminalsandthe other dry cell set terminalsare interconnected through a three-way switch, This;-.switehhas: an intermediate off position and two, on--positions.

One arm of the lamp. and its. lamp bulb, is arranged to direct light upon theleftehand-page, for example, of themagazine or book, and the other arm carries its lamp in such position as .to direct light upon the right-hand page; When the left-hand page is being'. read, the switch is thrown to the left-positiomwherein oneset" of batteries; is, energized tasapply enerey only: to the lamp arranged over the left-hand pa e; When read n the. rightehanda paga. the switch is thrown to the opposite on position tor-con,- meet the second; set otbatteriesin; circuit; with the other lamp which,i s;arrang,edjtc direct: light uponthe rightrhanda pa fli, Thus. the two. sets of batteries are.- sedalternatelw whereby: the batteriesare enahledto-recoupsduring,thepericds of non-use. As a result; thezlifesorthevbatteries is substantially more: than. twice that which would; be, expected if; only aisingleiset of; batteries were used for both lamps;

A further featurevof'theinvention isthecomipact arrangement ofp'partsand the-,lighmweight of the assembledunit. The lampiisisoaarranged as to provide the. necessary:.-spaceion-holding; the batteries with the-arms being: so locatedpasto place the, lamp, bulbs; in. proper: position for dis recting light directly uponeachpa e fthebeck or magazine, Boththebody and thegarms are made of a, suitable light-weightmateriah, such as a plastic composition materialgior-example. To provide portability, the-arms are attached to the-body by'a swivel: connection so-lthatathev may be foldedonto the; body. tc make-.-a..c.omnact collapsed unit: which; may-be carriedl for; exiample, in a jacket pocket or inlazhandbagi. In addition, the device-isginexpensive tccconstruct, simple to assemble, andrugged:

In the collapsed or: portabledpcsition; the circuit at the switch is automatically broken thus preventing; the lampbeing; accidentally turned on even though theswitch begaccidentally flicked on as might happenawhen: thfiv lamp;- :is dropped in pccket,,purse..etc.. Inathiswcollapsed position, a stop, is. provided to; prevent ;,the,-. dry cells from fallin out of: thedamp. However; y ov the stop; the dry el szmayibezreadily p aced. when necessary; with;v the same effort as is required for ordinary flashlights:

With the foregoingiinhmind; it-sis 811'; object of the present inventionrtogprovide; shovel-rib laminating devicefor readingrbooks; magazines and the like.

Another object tovpruvideusuch; a: device which is glighteweightl portable, and so (arranged as to direct light:onlywupon {the-actual'c'material beingread.

A further objectqis-toeprovide such asdevice including a pair of lamps eaclr having its own source of energy, suchwsas dry-cells; and-timeans for alternately connecting; each lampzin circuit relation with itssource of energy-'wlthva mere flick of: the finger.

Still. another; obiectxis to .prorideiaz dryr-celle energized reading lamp including novel circuit arrangements for greatly increasing the useful life of the dry cells.

These, and other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a book reading lamp according to the present invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are front and side elevation views, respectively, of the lamp.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the lamp supporting arms taken on the lines 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the batter container or body of the lamp, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a schematic wiring diagram of the lamp circuits,

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a modified form of lamp.

Figs. 8 and 9 thereof.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation view of the lamp in the folded carrying position.

Fig. 11 is a, longitudinal sectional view through the battery carrying body of the lamp.

Referring to Fig. l, the lamp |5 comprises a battery carrying case or body 20 from which a pair of lamp supporting arms 30 and 40 extend toward the reader. In the modification of Figs. 1 through 5, the body and the arms are preferably formed as a rigid unit, and are desirably integral with each other. Body 20 is a substantially hollow member having end walls It, I6, a top wall I! and front and rear walls l8, I9. Bosses 2| on front wall l8 act as supports for spring clips 25, 25. As shown, the two halves of a book, shown in broken lines at 50, are clamped between the spring clips 25 and the front wall I8 of body 20. Thereby, the lamp I5 is supported directly upon the book.

Arms 30 and 40 extend forwardly from body 20 and their outer extremities are formed with downwardly extending receptacle portions 3|, each containing a lamp socket such as 35. A small lamp bulb 55 of the flashlight type is screwed into socket 35 and a reflector 60, of polished metal, is clamped between bulb 55 and the walls of receptacleportion 3|.

Conductors 32 and 42,'which may be relatively thick wire, each have an end extending, in insulated relation, through the bottom of the lamp sockets into engagement with the central terminal of the lamp bulb 55. The conductors extend along the upper surfaces of arms 30 and 40 and into the casing of a three-way switch 10, having a projecting operating button 1|. Each lamp sockethas connected thereto a wire, such as 33 extending along the inner surface of the vertical wall 34 of an arm. These wires extend through the front wall |8 of body 20 and are connected to contact members 22 and 23 on the inside of the upper wall I! of body 20. Spring contacts 24 and 26 connected to central terminal of switch 10 extend into body 20 through an opening in wall I1 and diverge longitudinally from each other.

The body 20 contain the dry cells such as 5|, 52, 53 and 54. Cell 5| is arranged with its base in engagement with contact 22 and cell 54 has its base engaged with contact 23. J Cells 52 and 53 have their central contacts engaged with spring contacts 24 and 26, respectively. The body 20 may be closed by a cover 28 carrying a first spring contact 56 arranged to interconnect the central are front and side elevation views terminal of cell 5| to base of cell 52. Cover 28 carries a second spring contact 51 arranged to interconnect the base of cell 53 to the central terminal of cell 54. Thus cells 5| and 52 are connected in series between contacts 22 and 24 and cells 53 and 54 are connected in series between contacts 23 and 26. Cover 28 is detachably secured to body 20 by screws 58 threaded into a central partition 29 of the body.

The operation of the device will be best understood by reference to the schematic wiring diagram of Fig. 6. When the left-hand side of the book is being read, operating button H of switch 70 is thrown to the left to connect batteries 5| and 52 in series circuit relation with lefthand lamp 55 to illuminate the left-hand page of the book. Meanwhile, the circuit including cells 53 and 54 is open. When it is desired to read the right-hand page of the book, switch '10 is operated to disconnect cells 5| and 52 from their associated lamp 55 and connect cells 53 and 54 in series circuit relation with the right-hand lamp 55, cells 5| and 52 being in open circuit for a time interval to recoup. This alternate drain upon the two sets of dry cells increase the life of the cells by as much as one hundred percent compared to the life possible with only a single set of cells continually energized for both lamps 55. As explained, button H has an intermediate. position in which both lamps are disconnected from their respective sets of cells.

Figs. 7 through 11 show a modified form of arrangement in which the identical elements have been given the same reference characters and corresponding elements have been given the same reference characters primed. In this embodiment of the invention, body 28 is hingedly connected to a member normally extending at right angles thereto and including arms 30' and 40' so that the body and the arms may be folded to the compact relation shown in Fig. 10 for easy carrying in a jacket pocket or a handbag. For this purpose, arms 30 and 40' are formed integral with a top cover for body 20 which is a flat element transversely interconnecting the rear ends of the arms. The latter are formed L- shaped in cross-section, being provided, with reinforcing ribs if desired. The downwardly extending portions 36 and 45 of arms 30' and 4D carry, near their upper rear corners, pins 8| which extend through apertures in the end walls I6 of body 20' to provide a pivotal connection thereof to the arms. The rear wall IQ of body 20' is formedwith a forwardly extending latch 82 which is arranged to engage over a lip 83 on a flange 84 of cover portion 80. Rear wall I9 is made flexible so that it may be pressed inwardly to release latch 82 from lip 83 to provide for a folding of the body and the arms upon each other.

The electrical connections are substantially the same as those shown in Figs. 1 through 6, spring contacts 56 and 51' being provided to interconnect the cells 5|, 52 and 53, 54 in series relation. Ribs 86 may be molded on the inner surface of walls l8 and IE! to form spacers for the cells 5 |54. Stop members 86' are swingably mounted on the upper ends of ribs 86 for engaging the upper ends of the batteries on either side of the ribs when the body 20 is folded against the arm member, thus preventing the batteries from falling out of the body. The operation of the switch 10 to control the illumination of the lamps 55 is the same as that previously described.

. The invention lamp is 'a compact light-weight device which is detachably supportable upon the book or other paper being read, and, illuminates only the actual material being observed. The lamp is self-contained, with the lamp energy being supplied from dry cells carried in the body portion. A separate set of cells is provided for each lamp, and a three-way switch is used to alternately connect each lamp in circuit with its particular set of cells. Thus, the sets of cells have alternate drain periods and rest periods so that they may recoup to greatly prolong the life of the dry cells. In the arrangement of Figs. 7 through 11, the body may be folded flat against the arm member so that the entire device may be conveniently transported in a handbag, a jacket, or the like. In the collapsed position, the dry cells are disengaged from contacts 22, 23', 24', 26', preventing accidental lighting of bulbs 55. Stop members 86' may be swung into alignment with ribs 86, thus allowing the batteries to be removed from the body 20' for replacement. The material of the arms and the body is preferably a light-weight composition material, and the wall sections are thin, being suitably reinforced where necessary.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles thereof, it should be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A reading device comprising, in combination, a casing compartmented to receive a pair of batteries and having an open end to provide for insertion and removal of the batteries; means on the forward wall of said casing arranged to engage both halves of an open book or the like to support the device thereupon; a cover on the open end of said casing; a pair of arms extending forwardly in spaced relation from said cover and integral therewith; means pivotally connecting said arms to said casing; a lamp socket in the outer end of each arm to receive a pair of lamps; the arm being so spaced that the lamps will illuminate either half of such open book or the like; a reflector mounted above each lamp to direct light downwardly; a switch mounted on said cover between the junctures of said arms therewith and having a movable member in circuit with a terminal in said casing commonly engageable with one terminal of each battery, and a pair of fixed contacts; a conductor connecting each fixed contact to one terminal of a different socket; a conductor connecting the other terminal of one socket to a terminal in said casing engageable by the other contact of one battery; and a conductor connecting the other terminal of the other socket to a terminal in said casing engageable by the other contact of the other battery; whereby the lamps may be selectively illuminated, each by a different battery.

2. A reading device comprising in combination, a casing for receiving a pair of batteries and having an open end for inserting and removing said batteries, means on the casing for engaging the upper edge of an open book to support the device thereon, a member pivotally mounted on said casing and including a portion for covering the open end of the casing in one position of said member, said member further including a pair of arms extending forwardly of said cover portion, a lamp socket on each arm to receive a lamp for illuminating one half of said open book, switch means on said member operable to connect one lamp with one of said batteries while disconnecting the other lamp from the other battery, said switch means being further operable to disconnect both lamps from said batteries.

3. A reading device comprising in combination, a casing for receiving a pair of batteries and having an open end for inserting and removing said batteries, a member pivotally mounted on said casing and including a portion extending rearwardly of the pivotal axis for covering the open end of said casing and a pair of arms extending forwardly of said pivotal axis, means on the front wall of said casing for engaging an open book to support the device thereon, a lamp socket on each arm for receiving a lamp for illuminating one half of said open book, switch means on said cover portion having an ofi position, a first on position connecting one lamp with one battery, and a second on position connecting the other lamp to the other battery, and interengaging means on said cover portion and said casing for retaining said casing and arms substantially at right angles to each other.

LOUIS MELAMED. MORRIS U. GREENBERG. IRVING J. SWARTZMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,542,512 Lett June 16, 1925 1,616,410 Buell Feb. 1, 1927 1,689,457 Senger et al Oct. 30, 1928 1,893,071 Sherbinin Jan. 3, 1933 2,205,733 Sauter et al June 25, 1940 2,268,189 Colbert Dec. 30, 1941 2,377,538 Cohen June 5, 1945 2,427,051 Goudreau Sept. 9, 1947 2,493,491 MacMahon Jan. 3, 1950 2,561,744 Langdon et al. July 24, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 519,342 Germany Feb. 22, 1932 

